


Here Today

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-19
Updated: 2013-05-19
Packaged: 2017-12-12 08:35:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I don’t hate spending quality time with you.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here Today

**Author's Note:**

> Ugh, the angst. I just want to write my ship but I'm so freaked out that we might lose one-half of my OTP in the finale that it’s definitely showing in the thoughts running through my head. I hope I'm wrong. I'm still grateful that they're speaking to me though and intend to tell their stories as long as I can.

Dave wore a big smile as he walked out onto the patio. He was carrying two of the biggest plates Erin had ever seen. She’d been with Dave for a while; she’d seen some big plates.

“Oh God David this is too much. No.”

“No? Are you serious?”

“I'm a little serious but also intrigued.”

He put the plate down in front of her and kissed her forehead. Then he sat down with his own plate.

“This is too much food.” Erin looked at her plate of steak, eggs, and fried potatoes.

“That’s the way Italians like it…a little too much.”

“Its like you're trying to fatten me up for winter.” She picked up her knife and fork. “It's passed by the way.”

“You are perfect. I'm just trying to satisfy you.”

“It does look amazing.” Erin smiled.

“It’s going to be. I marinated the steak for 48 hours…you won't even need that knife.”

Dave grabbed the bottle of Moet from the champagne bucket and popped it open just as Mudgie came outside. He sat down by his mistress’ feet and waited for good things to come his way. Erin didn't disappoint, she tore a piece of steak and some egg white and fed it to him.

“You spoil him.” Dave said as he poured champagne into their orange juice.

“Well you spoil me so I'm just completing the circle. This is a pretty special breakfast, what gives Rossi?”

“I make you brunch every Sunday that I can.” Dave sat down again. “I just know you’ve been working hard and it’s been a long winter for both of us. I wanted to do something that made you smile and feel good.”

“What's wrong?” Erin asked.

“Nothing is wrong.” He smiled as he shook his head.

“I don’t believe you.” she sampled her medium over easy eggs. They were just as amazing as she knew they would be.

“The other shoe is not going to drop, Erin.”

“You're not canceling our vacation?”

“Hell no. We’re out of here on May 24th. Two weeks away, no interruptions, no work cell phones, no dealing with other people’s problems…”

“No serial killers or case files or jet rides.” She finished. “It'll just be you and me.”

“Damn skippy baby.” Dave took her hand and squeezed it. “I've been looking forward to this as much as you have.”

“You hate vacations.”

“I don’t hate spending quality time with you.”

“This really does look good.” Erin looked down at her place. Dave was by far her favorite cook and she’d eaten in some of the best places in the world. Not many things beat the comforts of home. He'd been home for so long now. “If you drop something on me later, I'm really going to kill you.”

“So noted.” Dave ate his breakfast. “But that kills my calorie burning plans for this afternoon.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“Why are you so nervous?” 

He really looked at her. Erin had been running on fumes lately, though they all had been. There was always another case, another city, and another crime. For her there was another meeting, another battle, and another war. 

It was a miracle that neither one of them collapsed. His wife was definitely starting to show the signs of fatigue. Dave wanted to get her out of there. He wanted to take Erin somewhere that she could breathe and not have to think about the Bureau. It would be good for him…it would be a lifesaver for her.

“I'm not.” She shook her head. “I just…I don’t know. I don’t want these ominous feelings. I want to wake in the morning, especially a Sunday morning when I wake up in your arms, and I want to feel good. 

“I don’t want to feel like the hammer is about to fall. I don’t want to feel like I'm going to lose someone I love or even myself. No matter how hard I try I just can't shake it. I can push it down really far but it shoots back up like a geyser.”

“You just need a vacation. You need a real vacation and we’re going to have one. You’ve been in this cycle; I've been in it too. We feel like we’re fighting the same battle everyday and getting nowhere.”

“Yes.” Erin smiled but it was a tired smile.

“So we’re going to take a break from that. Two weeks isn’t forever but we’ll make the most of every moment. This is going to be a great trip.”

“I've been looking forward to it for a while now.”

“I know.” Dave smiled.

“I need to eat this food. It doesn’t deserve to get cold; it smells so good.”

“It tastes good too. After this we can watch whatever movie you want. I won't even argue.”

“That’s not fair…arguing is half the fun.”

“Alright, I say _Kramer vs. Kramer_.” Dave said.

“Oh God, no; it’s too depressing. What about _Tangled_?”

“Too Disney.” Dave shook his head. “We could watch _Rope_.”

“That’s too chatty.” Erin sipped her mimosa. “It’s beautifully chatty but still too chatty. How do you feel about _The Stepford Wives_?”

“1975?” he asked.

“As far as I'm concerned there is no other.”

“That’s a possibility. I like _Kiss the Girls_ better.”

“Morgan Freeman.” She said it in her dreamy voice as she ate steak.

“I'm willing to do that for you baby.”

“You really love me don’t you?”

“Yes.” Dave nodded.

“I love you too.”

It wasn’t easy to eat with one hand but Erin did it. She held Dave’s hand with the other. It was delicious; brunch always was. This was one of their Sunday rituals whenever they were together. Right now that was a comfort. 

Erin wouldn’t always feel this way, whatever this feeling was. She was going to take her happiness where she could get it. Today it would be all about enjoying food, cuddling in bed, and being with the man she loved the most. Work was insane but Erin wasn’t at work. 

Saying she wouldn’t let it affect what little time she had outside of the walls of Quantico was easy. Actually making sure it didn't was a bit more difficult. Steak and eggs was a good start. Erin had today. She had today but wasn’t guaranteed tomorrow. With Dave by her side, which also wasn’t guaranteed, she needed to make the most of it.

***


End file.
